Beautiful Hurt
by xxPurpleHazexx
Summary: Adelora Holland seems like a normal girl on the outside. But when she meets Sirius Black, all her secrets are revealed, and he must help her stop their world from crumbling. Written for the LCP story challenge.
1. Ignorance Is Bliss

**A/N: Hi everybody!**

**I wrote this for the LCP story challenge, so here it goes.**

**WARNING: bulimia, self-harming, some sexual content. **

**Disclaimer: I own no-one, except for Adelora and Marcus Holland.**

A petite girl with dark chocolate hair dragged a trunk through the crowded Kings Cross Station; oversize sunglasses perched on her button nose. Her hair was pulled back in a messy tangled bun, a few dark long strands hanging around her pale face. She wore a large black men's sweater, belted at her tiny waist, leggings underneath, and clunky Doc Martens with neon purple laces.

The look was very waif-thin-model-goes-to-rehab-and-comes-back-more-fucked-up-than-before, and Adelora Holland couldn't give less of a shit.

She slid her deep purple knit bag further onto her shoulder and pulled her trunk further into the station. Her older brother Marcus stood behind her in his motorcycle leathers, blond hair spiked up. Every young woman within a 50-metre radius almost swooned as they stared appreciatively at his toned body.

Adelora looked back at her older brother, who was basking in the attention and flipped her sunglasses to the top of her head. Her dark brown eyes bore into him as she glared. "Can you drop me off at a _train station_ without picking up?" She rolled her thick lashed eyes. "Jesus Christ!"

"I'm coming, Dell!" He said, ruffling his hair and speeding up to walk with her. He draped an arm possessively over her shoulder as she put her sunglasses back on. "Lighten up," he told her, and she almost bestowed one of her rare smiles on him, until he continued, "It's not _my_ fault the ladies love me."

Adelora whacked him on the chest and continued walking. After that, Marcus took the trunk off her, and lifted the load on to a trolley easily, leading the way towards the platform.

Marcus had been to Hogwarts for all seven years of his magical education, while Adelora was transferring there for her seventh year, after attending Beauxbatons for the previous six.

He stopped at Platform 8, his eyes straying over her head. "God," Adelora sighed. "You're like a dog. I can practically see you panting."

Marcus appeared not to have heard her. He stretched and said grandly, "Well, dear sister, here is where I must leave you. There is a blonde over there screaming my name."

Adelora rolled her eyes. "Really? Funny. I can't hear her."

Marcus turned serious suddenly, and pulled her in for a hug, feeling her fragile bones under his warm large hands. He barely touched her as they embraced, light as a feather, afraid she might break. "Mum would want you to take care of yourself," he whispered gently in her ear.

Adelora pulled back, feeling her throat close over and her chest turn red under her sweater-dress, always a precursor to tears. "And Dad?" She said, her pouty lips twisting into an unhappy smile.

Marcus shook his head, "Dad is … well…"

"I know," She said. Then she jutted her chin toward the tall blonde he'd been eyeing off before. "Go on," she offered, turning her lips up in an unconvincing smile. "I can hear her screaming your name."

Marcus' doleful puppy dog blue eyes met her dark stormy brown ones, and he slowly smiled. "Miss you already," she sad softly, quoting what they use to say to each other when they were split up between foster families.

"We'll be okay," He finished the bit, quoting the line he used to spout to her every time they were separated.

She looked back at him once more as she began to drag her trunk along, and he promised, "I'll write," but his attention was already on the blonde in the miniskirt.

Adelora snorted in disgust as he practically sprinted away. She pushed the trolley past Platform 8 and 9 looking for Platform 9 ¾. Nothing.

Platform 9 and then 10. Nothing in between. Oh shit. She knew it was stupid. Who had a Platform 9 ¾?

There was probably some secret to it, that Marcus had just 'forgotten' to mention. Or maybe he really had forgotten. He'd seemed pretty smitten with that blonde. Maybe it was love at first sight and they'd have ten kids together.

Her player brother? She snorted out loud. Nope. It was just Marcus being Marcus forgetting to mention the most important thing about getting to Hogwarts.

Adelora sighed and thought lovingly of the girls at Beauxbatons at this very moment probably. Not that she'd had many friends there. They were all snotty French bitches or Veela. Or both. She'd spent most of her time there alone. It was simply a case of the grass is always greener.

She opened up her Hogwarts acceptance letter. All it said was Platform 9 ¾. Nothing about any hidden secret. Oh shit shit shit.

Checking her chunky silver watch bracelet she pushed down her panic, it was ten to eleven. Crapitty crap crap.

A lady in a floral skirt doddered past and Adelora tapped her on the shoulder, trying to smile as if she was a friendly human being. Which she very much wasn't. "Hello, Ma'am," she aid politely. "Could you point me towards Platform 9 3/4.?" Even as she said it she knew she sounded as if she should be put in an asylum.

"Platform 9 ¾?" The woman squawked disbelievingly.

Adelora nodded, blushing.

The woman simply twirled on her heel, and stalked off, muttering, "Damn kids!"

As Adelora whirled from side to side, panicking helplessly, she caught sight of a sandy haired tall gaunt boy, pushing a trolley. And on the trolley was a trunk, a trunk with the Hogwarts crest emblazoned on it in the middle.

Adelora, antisocial being that she was, decided to watch and observe until she could figure out what to do, instead of simply asking him. She blended into the crowd that was moving along, standing very still, just watching.

The tall boy took a deep steadying breath, and began to power walk his trolley straight towards the barrier between platforms 9 and 10. As he neared the barrier, not slowing down at all. Adelora almost called out, and clamped a hand over her mouth as the front of his trolley disappeared into the wall, the boy following closely afterwards.

Not believing her eyes, she pushed her trolley closer and began to run towards it before she could chicken out. Her trolley disappeared into the bricks and so did she, a second after. Adelora gasped, to shocked to even think about slowing down her trolley, which is how it came to be that her trolley slammed into the tall boy from before.

He doubled over in pain and Adelora ran over, her fragile pale hands fluttering over him in an attempt to fix what she'd broken, or at least badly bruised. "Holy crap on a cracker!" She cursed. "I am so sorry!"

The boy made his way over to a bench and sat painfully, observing the small, almost ethereally beautiful girl move her trolley and try to shove his trunk back on to his trolley. The small fragile pixie looked as if she were in need of some help, so with some cursing, and a constant throbbing on his left side, he walked over and pushed the trunk on quickly, slightly worried that if it fell it might crush her.

Adelora struggled to her feet, almost catching the hem of her sweater dress under her combat boots. "Hi," she said hesitantly. "I am so sorry about that. I'm Adelora, by the way."

"It's fine," the boy shook her frail, pale hand. "I'm Remus."

Adelora turned to look at the scarlet red steam engine that was whistling, signalling that it was time to get on the train. Adelora smiled a farewell at Remus as she grabbed her trunk, abandoning the trolley and heading towards the train.

She climbed aboard, and strolled up and down the corridors, looking for an empty compartment where she could flip her sunglasses on, and fall asleep to the clickety-clack of the wheels on the steel tracks.

Every compartment was full. Oh great. This was a pretty awful start to her last year at her new school. As she headed back the way she came, a leering young man with dark hair was standing in her path. "Hello there," he said creepily.

Quickly, Adelora flipped her sunnies on. Her beloved sunglasses that were a wall between her and the rest of the world. "Hi," She greeted him reluctantly.

"I'm Rookwood," he said importantly.

"Oh," she said disinterestedly. "Er, I'm Adelora."

"Adelora," he rolled the unusual name off his tongue and she smiled uncomfortably.

"'Scuse me," she said politely. "I'd like to get by here, if you wouldn't mind?"

Rookwood leered suggestively. "But, wait, maybe we could … get to know each other, first?" He gestured to a compartment off to the side, which held one other student.

"Um," Thankfully, right then, a dark haired boy with warm grey eyes walked up the corridor.

* * *

Sirius Black saw Rookwood leaning territorially over a waif thin girl who looked as skinny as a heroin addict. The girl had large sunglasses on and was leaning away from Rookwood as much as possible from where he'd cornered her.

Sirius strode towards them. "Rookwood!" He called. "Glad to see you've kept my girl occupied until I got here! Thanks for that, mate!"

In shock, Rookwood let his arms drop and Adelora scurried past him. Just to keep up that act, and because the skinny girl really looked like she needed some protecting, Sirius draped an arm possessively around her shoulders.

As they walked away Sirius chuckled. "I really feel like we're moving too fast," he said mock-seriously. "How about I find out your name before we hug?"

"Ha ha," Adelora said. "I'm Adelora Holland."

"I'm Sirius Black," he introduced himself politely.

"Well," Adelora said, "Thanks for saving my ass back there, Black."

"No problem," Sirius said acting very friendly. "Want to come sit with us?"

It hadn't been the plan, but Adelora kind of didn't want to sit on her own anymore anyway. "Okay," she agreed and they entered a compartment to the left.

Three boys sat inside. A small mousy boy, a tall, jet-black haired handsome one, and Remus, the boy from the platform. "Hey, Remus," Adelora greeted him.

The jet-black haired boy's eyes widened. "Remus got the jump on the pretty new girl?"

"I kinda ran into him with my trolley," Adelora volunteered and Remus blushed.

Sirius did the wide eye thing too. "Remus was hit by a trolley that the pretty new girl was pushing?"

"It seems so," the handsome one nodded. Their routine was quite comic, if a bit ridiculous. "I'm James," the handsome one said confidently.

"Peter," the mousy one said.

So as not to be rude, Adelora took her sunglasses off and smiled politely. "I'm Adelora," she introduced herself.

Sirius noticed his arm was still around her, and felt slightly embarrassed. He just had this strange urge to protect her.

James then noticed the arm. "Man," he groaned. "Lay off. Can we _please _let the pretty new girl live in blissful ignorance of Sirius Black for just a _little_ longer?"

"Ha ha," Sirius said sarcastically. Then, loftily, he continued, "If you must know, I was saving her from Rookwood." Then petulantly, he added, "so there!"

"Sure," Remus nodded slowly as if he didn't believe a word Sirius had said.

"He did," Adelora vouched.

"So," James said. "Where did you come from?"

"Beauxbatons," Adelora said, anticipating their reaction.

"French Veela," Sirius said gleefully, putting on a terrible French accent.

"No waaa-aaay!" Peter and James howled.

"Are you Veela?" Peter asked dimly.

"Do you feel the masculinity slowly being sucked out of you?" Adelora asked snippily.

"Is that a trick question?" James asked as Sirius said, "Er, …"

"No," Adelora said firmly. "I am not a Veela!"

"Do you _know_ any Veela?" Sirius asked hopefully.

"Yes, and they all think they're God's freaking gift to the world." She said shortly.

An awkward silence descended until Adelora asked Remus, "You aren't interested in any Veela?" with amusement seeping into her tone.

"I always thought they were over rated, actually," Remus answered.

"Oh." Adelora looked almost pleased.

James snorted. "Oh, please!"

"What?" Adelora asked.

"Well," James put on a wise voice. "It's quite obvious that our pal – "

"Pal?" Sirius sniggered.

" – That our pal Remus here has developed an attraction to you, the Furious Veela Hater. So, thereby agreeing with everything that comes out of your mouth, he is trying to lull you, the Furious Veela Hater, into thinking your share areas of common interest. _Thereby," _he pointed an accusing finger at Adelora, "creating the groundwork for a successful relationship."

"Well, well, well, Mr Smooth Talker," Sirius chuckled.

"I rest my case." James shrugged modestly.

Adelora almost smiled at his antics. "Ever think, Mr Thereby, that you're misinterpreting the signs?"

"Nope." James popped the 'p.'

Remus blushed and she winked at him, letting him know they were all cool. Trying to change the subject, neutrally, Adelora interjected, "Think any Veela would go for you, James?"

"While I'm sure if I were ever graced with their presence that Veela would simply throw themselves at my feet, I'm taken," James said, amid protest from Sirius.

"Oh?" Adelora arched a dark brow.

"Her name's Lily. Lily Evans." He sighed dreamily.

"She positively loathes him," Sirius informed her.

"Oh." She said. "Point her out to me, I'll put in a good word."

"Really?" James perked up so much it would have been embarrassing had he had any shame.

Coincidently, just then, a red haired girl opened the door, speaking to a brunette animatedly. "Yeah," she was saying. "Her brother, the one with the leather jacket … Oh. Wrong compartment." She finished stiffly.

"Come in, Lily," James said. "There's room right here," he patted his lap.

That's Lily? I mouthed to Sirius.

He nodded.

"You prat," Lily hissed at James. "I hate you, Potter!"

"No, really, Lily," James protested. "Come meet my new friend, Adelora!"

Adelora dropped her head into her hands. "No," Lily hissed. "I won't make nice with your new 'friend' Adelora."

She threw Adelora a withering glance before storming off. "Wow. Can you say uptight bitch?" Adelora asked neutrally.

"Exactly," Sirius nodded as if Adelora had just discovered a cure for cancer.

James sighed disappointedly. Adelora opened her mouth and then shut it again. "Just say it," Sirius advised. "Don't try and soften the blow. He's used to it."

Adelora grimaced. "Look, James, the way you said, 'Come meet my new friend, Adelora,' – "

Sirius cut in, "you may as well have said, 'this is Adelora, she's my bitch.'"

"Exactly." Adelora nodded wisely.

"Oh." James said. "I just meant … Lily's a girl, you're a girl … you guys could get along."

"Well," Adelora said. "Good try, honey. But look at me, and look at Lily. I don't really think we're going to get along, do you?"

James observed har dark sweater dress, her thick makeup and her clunky, rather frightening shoes. "I guess not," James sulked like a five year old being told off.

"Now," Sirius said. "Give up on her, dude. She doesn't like you."

Adelora raised a hand. "Don't give up," she advised. "I think you may have managed to make her jealous just then. Date someone else, see how she reacts. If that fails just go up to her and speak to her like a normal person. Nicely." Adelora clarified.

"Okay," James agreed.

The boys continued to talk and Adelora slipped into sleep, her head falling onto Sirius' shoulder.

Maybe Hogwarts wouldn't be so bad.

**What do you think???**

**Thank you, LilyCalliePotter for putting up this story challenge, I think I can do a lot with this!**

**Review please!**


	2. Author's Note

**Hi everyone!!!!**

**Alright, no chapters to any of my stories will be posted for a week, because I am doing Work Experience at a law firm in the city, working until 6 o'clock at night.**

**Sorry, please bear with me!!**

**I'll tell you all how it goes, much love,**

**Indigo**


End file.
